Shoe.



v lgy; Patented June 11,(1918.

- l. M. SMITH.

SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22 1917.

UNITE@ STATES FATEN SHOE.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented June lill, 19M.

Application filed March 122, 1917. Serial No. 156,795.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA MARTIN SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes and more particularly to improvements in ladies shoes, and has for its principal object to provide an improved and novel means for efectually concealing a bow knot or tied ends of the shoe laces at the top of the upper of the shoe. In the later types of womens shoes, it is very desirable to conceal the tied end of the lace and heretofore this has been effected by either stuffing the ends of the lace down between the inside of the shoe and the ankle, or by poking the ends of the lace between the edges of the upper. Either of these methods consume considerable time, is uncomfortable to the wearer and presents a rather poor appearance. Applicants device is designed to obviate these objections and to leave the tied ends in the usual position, but to cover them up with a flap or pocket.

Other objects will appear as my invention is more fully explained in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the upper portion of a shoe showing my device in open position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing my device in closed position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a fragment of a shoe showing my device in open position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, numeral 1 indicate the upper portion of a shoe having lace eyelets 2 along the adjacent edges of the shoe. The shoe is fastened together by means of a shoe lace 3 which is tied in knot 4; adjacent the top of the shoe. All of the above mentioned parts are usual. My improvement consists of securing adjacent the upper portion of the shoe, a flap 5 on either side of the opening in the shoe. I prefer to stitch the flaps 5 on to the shoe as at 6 and to make them triangular in shape, that is to make them widest adjacent the open space in the shoe and narrowest along the side portion of the shoe. When the shoe is first laced up as in Fig. l, the flaps 5 hang down as shown in this figure, and after the shoe lace has been tied, they are turned up as shown in Fig. 2 and are secured by a fastening means. As a fastening means, I prefer a snap 7 similar to a glove snap. The snap 7 is secured at one end to one of the flaps and is joined to the snap member on the other side by means of an elastic connection 8. After the flaps 5 have been turned up, the snap is fastened, thereby concealing the tied ends of the lace and giving the shoe a neat and finished appearance.

Applicant has shown the flaps 5 stitched on to the shoe and while he prefers this construction yet it is obvious that the flap might be a part of the upper leather.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I therefore desire to avoid being limited to the exact form shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a laced shoe of means for concealing the tied upper ends of the shoe lace, said means including iaps secured to the top of the shoe and means for fastening the said flaps together.

2. The combination with a laced shoe of a pair of similar flexible flaps secured to the top of the shoe adjacent the lacing eyelets, and resilient means for fastening the said flaps together, whereby the tied ends of the shoe lace may be concealed beneath the said flaps.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

IRA MARTIN SMITH.

Copies-of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommisstoner of Patente,

Washington, 1D. 

